


Calm before the Storm

by TheWoollyViking



Series: Rose Redemption AU [13]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Comfort/Angst, Fluff and Angst, Multi, Rose is trying to be a good mom, Rose resurrection AU, she has a lot on her mind...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2020-12-27 04:20:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21112544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWoollyViking/pseuds/TheWoollyViking
Summary: It's going be a trying few weeks as Steven recovers from his kidnapping. How do Rose and the others cope with it?





	1. Chapter 1

His cries rang out like a siren throughout the house, piercing the quiet tranquility of the night. She swore Greg mumbled something from his side of the bed, but Rose couldn’t quite make it out.

As consciousness returned to her, Rose realized Steven’s distressed wailing wasn’t some dream or trick of the mind. She felt the bed shift as Greg got up and prepared to make his way to their baby’s room before Rose stopped him.

“Let me take care of this.” She whispered; her words slurred from their sudden awakening.

Greg looked to her with half open bloodshot eyes, a smile on his lips, “You don’t have to do this every time, you know?”

Rose smiled, “I know, but I want to.”

Greg gave a heavy sigh, “Alright, see you in a bit.” He said, already plopping back onto the bed to return to his slumber.

Rose got to her feet and stretched before making her way towards Steven’s room, the sound of his crying acting as a beacon for her to follow.

Soon enough, she arrived to greet her poor child. His back laid flat against his bed and his toys and blankets kicked aside as continued to sob uncontrollably until Rose reached in to pluck him from his crib.

“Shhh, it’s okay, baby.” She cooed, gently patting his back to calm him down, “Mommy’s here for you.”

She took a moment to check if there was some need that had to be met for him. She had found babies were so vulnerable, so dependent on the constant care of their guardians. But she didn’t mind. If anything, it was comforting to have something so small and fragile to take care of, especially with the joy it brought to her in return.

No, there didn’t seem to be any foul odor or the like, so no changing was necessary. She knew he had eaten just before bed, so she was sure that wasn’t it. He had finally quieted down, but she could tell he was far from calm. He clung to her as tightly as his little hands could muster, his body still shaking as he nuzzled just under the crook of her neck. She didn’t understand why he was acting like this, and it worried her whether she could do anything to help.

Perhaps he simply had a fever? She felt his forehead with the back of her hand, but it didn’t feel terribly warm. Still though, it was the only thing that made sense.

She made her way to the bathroom, hoping a thermometer would help shed more light on his health. She stepped in and flicked on the light, but when she made her way to the mirror, she froze.

Immediately, she noticed something… off about her reflection, the way it stared back at her, the look in her eyes staring into her very being as it clung to her child…

The image gave an icy chuckle as she looked to the baby in her arms, “He sure is cute, isn’t he?”

She blinked, startled by the cold detachment of her own unspoken words, too late noticing Steven’s absence in her arms.

The room behind her mirror self then shifted, a yawning black void opening behind her, “Don’t worry, Pink, I’ll make good use of him.” She promised with a sinister grin. Steven shifted in her arms, the color of his skin fading away leaving only stark white in its place as it stared back at Rose in total silence with soulless Diamond eyes.

“No, stop!” Rose cried out, dashing to reach through the mirror, “That’s my baby! Give me back my baby!”

The other ‘Rose’ laughed, “Sorry, Pink, he’s all mine now.”

“NO!!”

Rose dashed out of the bathroom, throwing the door open to rush back to the bedroom, “Greg! GREG! I NEED YOU, SOMEONE TOOK OUR-”

She paused, this wasn’t where she was, she swore they were in Vidalia’s home within Beach City. She had left for some time and loaned it to them until their house could be finished. But… this place…

A spotlight shone in the center of the room, her young son stood frozen in fear as two towering figures loomed over him.

“Rose Quartz” said one in familiar voice, their tone grim and menacing. Golden lightning began crackling around her form, “You are guilty for the shattering of Pink Diamond, and are to be shattered yourself for your crimes…”

“No, stop!” Rose cried out, “It wasn’t him! There was no shattering! Please, please don’t hurt him!” she hollered, her pleas falling on deaf ears.

The room around her began to twist and change once again. Rocky walls dotted with the silhouettes of newly emerged gems surrounded her. New figures emerged, gems she recognized as strange and abnormal, who more than likely hid from the rest of shining Homeworld above.

Her son appeared once again, tears welling in his eyes as he held the broken, motionless body of one of his human friends.

The shock of seeing her son confront such brutality rendered her speechless. He looked to her, “Why…” he sniffed, “Why weren’t you here?”

Rose began to cry as she struggled to form an adequate answer. Before long, the scene changed once again, the props and players shifting and changing with them.

She looked around; a blinding white light stung her eyes as she looked up. Her breath hastened at the sight of White Diamond herself. Steven sat beside her, garbed in Rose’s old Diamond attire, a defeated look on his face.

“Steven, sweetie, you’re in danger!” Rose exclaimed in worry, “This isn’t safe for you-”

“Why do you care?” Steven asked, his voice quiet and harsh.

“Steven, sweetheart, of course I care!” Rose pleaded, “I never meant for you to face any of this!”

She gently lifted Steven’s face to look into his eyes, but any semblance of kindness or even of life in them was gone. Her son’s gaze rendered cold and distant.

“It doesn’t matter now if you meant it, Pink.” White taunted, “You did this to him. And after all your talk of what a terrible guardian you claimed I was... What’s worse, never showing your child any love, or only pretending to love him.”

“This isn’t some ruse. I love my baby!”, Rose snapped, her hands shaking as she embraced her child in a hug. Steven only sat there, indifferent to what unfolding around him.

“Now don’t you start giving the boy false hope.” White scolded, “He’s knows better by now. Besides, he’s his own gem now, and he doesn’t need you anymore…”

Light erupted from Steven’s gemstone, his skin quickly grew pale as he collapsed in her arms and faded away. In his place, a luminous pink figure in his likeness appeared. He stared into Rose’s eyes, his features blank as he spoke with a flat tone, ‘You should have stayed dead.’

* * *

Rose jolted awake, a gasp escaping her lips as consciousness returned to her. Her breathing was still heavy as ever as she tried to survey her surroundings. She was home again, within the beach house at last. Greg sat beside her on the mattress for the futon, his head resting on her shoulder as he was sound asleep while Steven laid curled up in her lap.

Outside, she could hear the pounding of rain against the roof, loud enough to almost drown out the sound of Greg’s snoring. The sun had long since set, the only light present emitting from the flickering of the television screen. As she looked to the electronic clock on the microwave, she could see it read ‘12:27 AM’.

She took a heavy sigh of relief, still addled by the visions from her nightmare. She looked back down to Steven, still peacefully asleep. She smiled, taking a moment to stroke the curly locks of his hair and gently run the tip of her finger under his chin, only for whatever solace it brought her to cease as she felt his pronounced cheekbone.

The television flashed once again, Rose remembering earlier in the afternoon, the three of them had sat down for a marathon of Steven’s favorite show. But this was something different…

The screen displayed a mother dinosaur looking after her hatchlings, surrounded by three larger predators. With the aid of a primitive human, she helped fight off the aggressors, but not after a truly bloody skirmish.

For a moment, they looked to have been the victor, only for another, yet larger beast to come into the fray. In an instant, it overpowered the mother and gruesomely devoured her younglings, blood oozing from its mouth.

Rose felt a stinging pain in her chest as she heard the grieving animalistic roar made not in anger, but in agony. She felt a growing uneasiness as she looked back down to her own child. He was safe, but for how long? Was she doing everything she could to protect him? To be the best mother she could be for him? Looking back, how many times had another threat made its presence known, and before she had the chance to react or do anything, taken her child from her or threaten them?

After these last few months, she was beginning to struggle finding much of a reason to view her progress as a parent in anything resembling a positive light.

She gingerly held Steven up to her face for a moment to kiss his forehead, “Oh, Steven. I’m so sorry Mommy wasn’t there to protect you.” She whispered, her voice filled with remorse, “But I promise, I won’t let anyone take you from me ever again.”

She tightened her grip on her child and sunk into her spot, allowing the hum of the television and the sound of the rain to gently lull her back to sleep…


	2. Chapter 2

Rose could hardly think of days more peaceful than this. Outside, the rain had finally ceased its savage torrent to give way to a gentle trickle, their pinprick droplets dotting the windows outside.

Heavy clouds still blanketed the sky above and blocked the sun, channeling its light through a filter of grey. On cool, quiet days like this, Rose enjoyed nothing more than to lounge about the Temple and relax as she watched the day pass on by.

Within the beach house itself, she and Steven laid comfortably in near darkness, the latter wrapped tightly in thick, warm blankets on his mother’s lap, her arms crossed over his chest in hug as they sat atop the mattress to the futon. The only source of light emitted from the television that rest at the foot of her and Greg’s bed.

At the top of the stairs, Steven’s own bed had been taken over by Lion, his massive size encompassing nearly the entire surface even as he tried to his best to curl into the tightest ball he could possibly muster. In an unoccupied corner of the bed, Cat Steven laid cuddled up close to Lion’s plush pink mane for warmth.

On the screen played a movie about an alien machine that had crash landed to Earth. Despite its terrifying stature and destructive power, it was ultimately a gentle soul. With no memory of who it was, it grew to love the Earth and decide for itself the person it wanted to be.

It was a movie Rose had witnessed through Steven’s gem many times when he was younger. And she recalled always becoming so emotional towards the end without fail.

She could recall it all from memory; A terrible weapon had been set off, primed to destroy both the robot and the people it had grown to care for. And so, in an act of selflessness, it sacrificed itself so to ensure their survival. As it disappeared in a grand explosion on the tiny screen, Rose could already feel her eyes begin to mist over.

“Wow, even after all this time, that scene still gets me.” Steven chuckled to himself as he wiped his eyes, “What do you think, Mom?” he asked, noticing that she had been oddly silent, “Mom?”

Rose’s grip on him tightened as she clung to him like a scared child would a teddy bear. Quiet whimpers escaped her lips as she tried desperately hard to not burst into tears.

“Mom, you know it’s just a movie, right?”

“But Steven…” Rose blubbered, sounding as though she were on the verge of breaking into a sob “He… he just loved those people so much… and he was so kind and sweet. I thought movies were meant to be fun! Why is this one so sad!?” she cried.

“Oh, Mom…” Steven sighed, rolling his eyes.

“Steven, baby, why do you always watch stuff like this?” Rose asked in a worried tone, “This and that breakfast food show always make you sad, but you always watch it!”

Steven shrugged as he tried to find the best words to use, “Well, I guess it’s because… it’s like you get to see someone go through the same stuff you may be going through and how they learn to deal with it. The robot in the movie was chased down by people who feared it and hated it, but it chose to not be who they wanted him to be.”

Rose’s confusion and unease shifted to understanding, “I… I suppose… it still makes me cry…”

Steven chuckled, “It’s okay, Mom. I still love you.”

Rose looked down to him, a warm smile on her lips as she hugged him tight, “Thank you, Baby Bear.”

The tranquil quiet of the moment soon came to a screeching halt when they heard a noticeable gurgle. Steven looked back to Rose almost embarrassed, “Heh, sorry. I guess I must be getting hungry.” He said, shuffling his way out of his cocoon of blankets to make his way towards the fridge before Rose stopped him.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll get it for you.” She offered.

“Oh, you don’t have to, Mom.” Steven said.

Rose just gave him a warm smile and ruffled his hair, “I know, but I want to. Now you just relax, and Mommy will get you something.”

Steven gave a heavy sigh and rolled his eyes, “Alright. Thanks, Mom.”

Despite the tragic circumstances that led to Steven’s predicament, Rose tried her very best to make the most of things. Even she was shocked by how much she had enjoyed doting over her baby this past week alone. She looked back to him, still cozy within the layers of wool sheets Rose had entombed him in as he scooted towards the tv to choose another movie from the stack of VHS tapes.

It was… comforting, for lack of a better word. As much as she admired how much her precious son had grown, like this, it was as though he were just a baby again. Only now, she was here to care for him and give him as much tender love and care as he would need. And she was sure he didn’t mind it, even if he did express annoyance when she would act overly affectionate.

She looked to the fridge, noticing a small handwritten note held up by a magnet. The perfectly formal cursive gave Rose enough to identify its writer without a proper name as it read;

‘Rose- There’s a healthy chicken soup Amethyst made for Steven in the fridge. Make sure he finishes his bowl and remember to call Connie’s mother if something happens!’

Below was listed a ten-digit number meant for Rose to dial. She rolled her eyes and smiled, and Steven thought she was fussy with him?

Outside, the sky began to rumble. At first, Rose assumed that perhaps thunderstorm was soon to come. But then, the clouds began to part, rays of Ivory, Gold and Azure filled the room as it poured from outside.

“Steven!” a familiar voice rang out. Rose froze and clenched her teeth, “White.” She snarled.

The venom of her voice did not go unheard as Steven looked to her, “Mom?”

“Wait here, baby.” Rose instructed, “I need to have a talk with someone, evidently.”

She felt a chill crawl up her back the moment she stepped out the door. She immediately recognized their ship, an amalgamation of three spacecraft joined as one, their fourth and final piece still markedly absent. But the center piece, White’s own vessel, Rose knew that one all too well…

All her time spent on Homeworld, she never knew what it was like not to be constantly monitored and scrutinized by White’s ever critical gaze. The window to her palace never failed to show this mockery of White’s likeness in all its glory. She swore sometimes she could feel its eyes stare into her…

Her train of the thought was cut short as the Diamonds finally appeared before her with as grand and dazzling an entrance that beings like them could manage. Light glinted from their gemstones from the newly freed sun above, its intensity almost stinging her eyes. So much for her calm and quiet day…

“Oh! Rose, dearie!” Blue greeted warmly, “It’s so nice to see you! Yellow, and I have missed you!”

Yellow gave a nod of agreement, “We’re very happy to see you in good health.”

Much as Rose did not want to admit it, part of her did feel a sense of comfort hearing Blue speak to her in such a loving way. But still, as always, she tried to remain firm in her resolve.

“Hello Blue, Yellow.” Rose responded coolly. She had noticed that White had yet to speak a word to her. She looked to find her staring back with a sullen expression as she seemed to almost prepare herself for another anger-fueled tirade. This timid, almost scared look was something Rose had never seen from her before, and because of it, Rose almost felt a little guilty for what she was going to say. Almost.

“And hello to you, you bitter old crone.”

The other Diamonds looked back to White, as if expecting some sort of immediate retaliation, verbal or otherwise. But White simply took a deep breath and spoke in as calmly a tone as she could muster, “It’s… nice to see you, Star-” she began to say before stopping herself, “…Rose.”

“My, I think this the first time we’ve actually gotten to see you since you’ve acquired your new gem.” Blue stated, more in an effort to desperately change the subject than anything.

“Are you sure you’re comfortable looking like that permanently?” Yellow asked.

Rose gave a confident smile, “I have never been so sure of anything else in my life, save for my choice to have Steven.” Rose boldly stated, “Rose is who I am, and it’s what feels right to me.”

White cleared her throat, “Well, it does mean we’ll have to commission a new gown to account for your new corpule-” she stopped, her poor choice of words cut off by a jab from Blue’s elbow before she realized her lapse in judgement, “I mean… generous… new form…”

Rose groaned and rolled her eyes, “Thank you, White, for journeying all the way from Homeworld to call me ‘fat’.” She grunted, not bothering to hide her annoyance at White’s still incessant need to pick out what she saw as the flaws in others as she already began to make her way to the door.

“Wait, Rose, please.” White pleaded, “I’m… sorry. I didn’t mean to…” she stumbled as she struggled to muster the courage to speak, “We just came here to see Steven.”

“Your colleagues relayed to us the details regarding the episode involving the Rogue Quartz.” Yellow stated, “We are willing to claim full responsibility on our part. As it turns out, dismantling an Empire can be quite a handful, even for Diamonds. And she clearly should have taken priority. Rest assured, she’s been dealt with, but we made sure to not shatter or bring about any unnecessary suffering.”

“But we were also worried when we heard she had taken your little human away.” Blue added, “We thought perhaps you had grown… careless?”

Were they suggesting what Rose thought they were? It seemed to sound that way, and the mere mention was enough to make her blood boil.

“You know what? You’re right. I should take a page from your book!” Rose snapped, “Maybe I should tell my son he’s not a person at all. Just a piece of me I have to feel ashamed of, then lock him away in some tower and forget about him until he cries and begs for freedom. Maybe-”

“O-okay, Rose… we understand how that may not have been the best choice of words.” Yellow corrected, trying not to sound too upset as she looked to Blue, herself trying to hold in a well of tears, lest her power force them all to start crying.

Rose found herself biting her tongue as a new wave of guilt warmed over her from the unnecessary hostility. White, meanwhile, was only looking more and more uncomfortable, no doubt registering Rose’s comments as being direct more towards her than either of the others.

“We simply wish to see him.” Yellow requested.

“No.” Rose said flatly, already turning to leave before Blue spoke up, “Now Rose, that’s completely unfair!”

“You practically begged us to act as guardians for Steven!” Yellow added, “You can’t just cut us out now!”

“That was before I was able to obtain a new gem.” Rose stated, “I was desperate, and without any means to interact with my child.” She admitted, “And from what he has told me about his visits to Homeworld, you seem to ceaselessly beg him to stay.”

“Because we care about him!” Blue insisted, “And it’s not as though he’d be barred from visiting Earth! He’s just so sweet and cheerful, so much like you used to be…”

“So, you only love my son in so much he reminds you of me?” Rose jabbed.

“Of course not!” Yellow protested.

“Do any of you even know the first thing about caring for a human?” Rose asked, the other Diamonds sharing hesitant looks between one another, “None of you know how to care for a child. And so long as Steven remains one, as his mother, I still need to make some decisions for him. And I know firsthand that none of you could be trusted to raise Steven!”

“Rose…” White said, her voice dripping with remorse, “We understand. We hurt you, and… and you have every right to still feel angry and perhaps even a little afraid of us. And we bitterly accept that there is no repairing what we’ve done. But please, let us show you that we can do better, let us at least be there for your son.”

There was something about the way White carried her words, a sense of true, genuine earnestness that Rose wasn’t sure what to make of. She should be happy, right? Happy that they’re finally learning. But then, why was her mind screaming to rush into the house and lock herself in?

In the back of her mind, she could almost see what she feared would happen. That this was in truth the White she knew. The White that wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. The Diamond that would break down her door and take her and her Steven away back to Homeworld to lock them both away.

But… she sounded so sincere. Had she really changed? If she had, was Rose in truth the aggressor here. Simply too angry and set in her own ways to accept her old family in again? Could she, in good faith, still say she believed that anyone, even gems like her, were capable of change. And if not, what would it say about herself, and her perceived ‘progress’?

“Mom?” she heard a small voice speak from behind her. She looked to spot Steven, dressed in a pair of comfy pants and an old t-shirt that hung loosely to his now slender frame, “I heard you guys all arguing, is everything okay?”

Immediately, the other Diamonds lit up with excitement at the sight of him, “Steven!” They joyously cried out in unison.

“Oh, you poor thing, you look positively gaunt!” White said with concern before looking back to Rose, “Unless, of course, that was your intention…”

Steven nervously rubbed his arm, “Yeah, humans need to eat and sleep and other stuff, but… that other gem… she never took care of me.” He explained, Rose noticing Steven’s discomfort in his voice.

“You poor thing.” Blue cooed softly.

“Have you made sure your subjects are looking after you in the meantime?” Yellow asked, Rose pinching the bridge of her nose as she tried not to get too frustrated with the insensitive language in Yellow’s comment.

“They’re family, not ‘subjects’ or anything like that.” Steven corrected her, “But yeah, they’re taking care of me. Mom and I have been hanging out at home a lot while Pearl’s making sure I get enough exercise. I think they actually enjoy babying me like this.” He joked.

“Steven, if you’d like, you’re more than free to come see us.” Blue offered, holding her hand out towards Steven, its size alone eclipsing the boy completely. But despite her mammoth stature, Blue did her best to be as gentle as possible. With the tip of her thumb, she caressed Steven’s cheek as her fingers curled around him to gingerly lift him off his feet.

Rose remembered this gesture, of her days as Diamond when she would seek solace with Blue when she needed such comfort. How Blue was always so eager to be there to dry her tears and be her shoulder to cry on. Her mind slipped back to those long-forgotten days… of the family she knew… of why she left…

‘Now Pink, you know nobody can see you like this, real Diamonds don’t cry.’

‘You’re only doing it to draw sympathy when you know you’re wrong.’

‘Why must you target us like this? We’re only trying to help you.’

‘We don’t love you when you’re like this.’

What happened next was more of reflex than anything else. Her breath rushed out her throat in a frightened gasp. Without thought, a shield materialized in her hand to bat Blue’s hand away as she motioned for Steven to get behind her. Her eyes darted to each of the Diamonds, each giving mixed looks of shock and worry.

“Rose, dear, did I upset you?” Blue asked in a careful tone, her voice filled with worry as she folded her hands together.

“P-please go away.” Rose stammered, trying her best to assert herself as she fought to not break down and cry.

Yellow spoke up before Rose cut her off “Rose, if there’s any way we can help-”

“Please… just go.” Rose begged, hugging herself as she felt her entire body begin to shake.

Soon enough, the Diamonds departed, not saying another word as they retreated to their craft and disappearing to the heavens above. All the while, Rose stood silently, holding herself together as she bit back an oncoming sob.

She flinched as she felt something soft and warm brush her side. A low, guttural rumble emanating from whatever had snuck up from behind her. She looked down to see her companion nuzzle her side.

“I guess Lion could tell you were upset.” Steven surmised.

Rose could feel her nerves begin to calm at last, the big cat’s vying for affection bringing a feeling of comfort that seemed to melt a good deal of her stress away. She knelt to her knees and returned his kindness with a warm hug, “Good Lion…” she whispered.

She looked back to Steven, looking relieved that the situation was at least over. But even now, a new unpleasant thought managed to creep into her consciousness thoughts. With what she was doing, with her sheltering him like she was, could she run the risk of becoming the next ‘White’?

Would she start shutting Steven away to protect him from himself? Perhaps even until he couldn’t take it anymore and leave just as she did? Her good intentions blinding her from possibly even monstrous acts against him? His love for her morphing into hatred as she became his tormentor… again.

“Steven. You… you know I would never treat you like… they treated me… right, baby?” She asked, her voice shaking with dread for what his answer will be.

“Of course, Mom.” He reassured.

She wasn’t sure if her concerns were truly being expressed with her question, “But…”

Steven cut her off, “Mom, it’s okay. I appreciate that you’re so concerned for me, but you need to have a little faith yourself.”

“Last time I had faith in myself, it led to my friends becoming corrupted.” Rose stated grimly.

“I wish you weren’t so hard on yourself…” Steven said.

“I need to be.” Rose stated, trying her best not to tear up, “I love you too much, and I’ve let you down too many times. You deserve nothing but the best. I would never want to hurt you like that and I would never want my own child to be scared of me.”

“It’s okay, Mom. I always feel safe around you.” Steven said, looking to her with that adorable little smile that never failed to brighten her day as he reached out to embrace her into the tightest hug he could muster, “It’s why you’re the best.”

‘I can only hope I’m not giving you false hope…’ she thought to herself. The clouds began to darken, the rain quickly erupting from light sprinkling to large, heavy droplets and the sky roared with thunder. Rose lifted her shield over their heads.

“I should get you out of this rain, you’ll catch a cold if we just sit out here.” Rose said.

“Oh please, if I get sick, you’ll just use it as an excuse to baby me even more.” Steven noted sarcastically.

“That’s because you are my baby!” Rose teased, snatching him up into her arms before giving him a kiss to his cheek, “You’re my sweet little baby bear, and I love you!”

“I love you, too, Mom.” Steven said.

That at least seemed to lift her spirits by a good measure, finally having the nerve to smile as she carried him back inside, making note not to forget fix him something to eat to keep him warm to fight the frigid cold of the rain outside.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, okay. I know it's been a while since the last chapter. I want to preface this by saying I am sorry for the wait. I want to say it was due to life stuff, but more it was just a lack of confidence on my part + now getting to write a whole other AU with ThatDastardCerberus. I hope y'all enjoy this chapter. Hopefully the wait for the next one is shorter.

“Now did you remember to do your stretches this morning?” Rose hollered to Steven from across the room for what felt like the hundredth time now. “Pearl told me today’s training sessions are going to get intense!”

“Yes, Mom!” Steven answered in an exasperated tone for what also had felt like the hundredth time. From the open bathroom door, Rose could make out the sound of running water as he brushed his teeth.

“And don’t forget the lunches I’m making for you!” Rose stated. “And do you want me to bring anything else? Remember, it’s okay to snack a little to help get your weight up!”

“MOM!” Steven blurted in an agitated tone. “Relax, I’ll be fine!”

Rose only smirked and rolled her eyes. She admitted that perhaps she was fussing over him a bit too much this time. But her excitement was simply too great to contain. Steven had been making strides in his recovery over the past few weeks. So much so that now Pearl was beginning to feel confident enough to include combat training to Steven’s regiment.

Part of her felt a swell of pride at the news. She was so proud of how much progress Steven had gone through in these past few weeks. But at the same time, a nagging thought ate away in the back of her mind. That perhaps they were pushing this too soon. A pit formed in her stomach at the thought of what would happen if his strength was not as restored as they thought, if he had ever gotten hurt…

Or perhaps… perhaps she was reading into things too deeply. Whatever the case may have been, she kept telling herself whenever she felt that familiar sinking dread wash over her. ‘Everything will be alright. Both me and Pearl will be there for him. He’s done all of this before. He won’t get hurt.’

It didn’t do much to comfort her and dispel her worries, but she hoped simply telling herself as much would help with time. And in the meantime, she made sure to follow Pearl’s instructions to the letter, listing off everything they planned to bring with them;

Her sword, sheathed safely in her scabbard, which hung comfortably from the belt around her waist.

A First Aid Kit, in the event that Steven’s healing tears would ever fail him.

And finally, an idea Rose had thought of herself, two brown paper bags of prepacked lunches.

The last item held a different level of importance to her. She had remembered the faithful night from years ago when one of Steven’s friends had bemoaned their own mother’s continued practice of doing the same for her. And of Steven’s own curiosity if his mother would have ever done the same.

It had been many years since then, and many things have changed since. So much so that her return could almost be seen as just merely quaint. But even if he understood the deeper purpose behind her gesture or not, she at least would.

From behind, Rose heard the creaking of the front door as it swung open, a rush of cool air pouring in from outside for the briefest of moments.

“Good morning, Rose!” Connie cheerfully exclaimed, already throwing off her coat to reveal her training gi. Following a routine that she looked to have done countless times before, she was already fixing the straps to her own sword’s scabbard over her chest.

However, this instance was different. Connie paused, her cheeks showing the faintest sign of a blush. “Uh, give me a moment. I might be a bit out of practice…” she said, straining to adjust the final fitting.

“Connie, would you like me to help?” Rose offered.

“No, no! I got it!” Connie insisted, grumbling as she continued to force the issue to correct itself before finally stopping and giving up. “Ma’am?” she said with a sigh.

Rose smiled, understanding Connie’s request as she tried to lend a helping hand. From behind, Rose could quickly spot the point where the belt had become pinched between the metal fittings of her scabbard. With one clean motion, she jerked it free.

“Thanks.” Connie said wish a sheepish grin.

“No problem, dear.” Rose said warmly.

The door to the bathroom closed, Steven emerging with a confident smile plastered on his face as he turned and made his way to greet the two of them. “Connie!”

“Hey, Steven!” Connie said, pausing to share a short kiss. “You look nice!”

“Yeah?” Steven looked over himself. The weeks of steady dieting and strength training were showing progress. His cloths had started to properly fit him once more as his muscles recovered from their months of atrophy. His cheekbones no longer left him with an almost ghoulish complexion. Rose couldn’t help but smile seeing him wear one of Greg’s old black t-shirts beneath his pink bomber jacket.

“All right, everyone on the warp pad!” Rose instructed.

The three of them gathered around onto the platform, light surrounding their bodies as they prepared to be carried off into the warp stream to their destination.

Just as soon as it started, it stopped. The view of the beach house soon replaced with a breathtaking view above the clouds. A cool breeze blowing through the open air and casting Rose’s curls into the wind.

Rose could hardly contain it any longer, a feeling of weightlessness overcame her as she stepped off the warp pad. As she turned her attention to Steven and Connie, she felt a fluttering in her stomach that made her swear her form was going to burst.

How many times had these two taken this ancient staircase towards the open battleground of the Sky Arena over the years they spent under Pearl’s tutelage? How many tender moments that just Steven alone shared with others here that she was privileged to have seen unfold?

And now, she would have her chance as well, she would now have her opportunity to bond with her child here as others had. Just the thought of it filled her with both a euphoric glee as well as a sense of both dread and anticipation.

She had to find a way to make this moment last. She tapped the surface of her gemstone, and in a quick flash of light, her phone materialized into her hand. “Um, Connie, a moment?”

The two stopped in their tracks, their attention turned to her. “I know this sounds silly, but… would you mind taking a photo with my cellular phone of me and Steven?” she said, her cheeks already feeling warm with embarrassment. “This is the first time I’ve ever helped Steven with combat training and…”

“Say no more.” Connie said confidently, plucking the phone from Rose’s hand and motioning for her to stand beside him. Rose made sure to make up for her greater size and sat on her knees, she and Steven placing an arm over each other’s shoulder as she each smiled for the camera.

But as they waited, Rose got a twinkle in her eye as an idea came to her. Just as the flicker of the flash went off, she pulled Steven close to her to plant a kiss to his cheek.

“Wh-Mom!” Steven blurted, his face nearly resembling a cherry in color.

Rose couldn’t contain her giggling. “Oh, Steven, I can’t help it! I made you too cute!” she teased, pinching his cheek.

“Let’s hope it didn’t make your photo blurry.” Connie remarked, already inspecting Rose’s phone before she let out a chuckle. “Oh my gosh, is that a picture of Steven as a baby?”

Steven snapped his gaze to Rose as Connie rotated the phone to show its home screen. Indeed. Hiding behind the small icons meant to mark apps was the photo of a small infant wrapped snuggly in a blanket in someone’s arms. From the small little tuft of curly dark hair, it was obvious who the baby’s identity was. As was who was holding him from how comparatively pale their skin looked in comparison to Steven’s.

Steven didn’t bother saying anything, his face buried in his hands as if the gesture would somehow render him invisible while letting out a strained groan.

“Oh, I just loved that photo of my baby!” Rose exclaimed. “Amethyst took it for me and helped me place it there. So now I can see my baby wherever I go!”

“Aw, that’s really sweet!” Connie said before she looked back at the photo. “Don’t feel bad, Steven, you made for a really cute baby.”

Connie’s words did little to help Steven’s flustered state. He said nothing, only answering with a small nod and a tiny smile.

“Oh, but you should have heard his little lisp when he was a toddler.” Rose said fondly.

“Oh gosh, please Mom, no!”

“Steven, you never told me you had a lisp!”

“Oh, it was the cutest thing I had ever heard!” Rose stated, part of her feeling temped to project a memory of her hearing it herself.

“I should have guessed you were the one keeping them.” Rose heard a stern, but friendly voice from behind her speak. As she turned to face it, at the top of the steps stood Pearl, her arms crossed as she looked to the three of them with a smile. “And yes, Steven’s lisp was adorable.”

Rose felt herself sink a bit as she looked back to the pale thin gem, “Sorry Pearl…”

Pearl simply smiled as she looked to Rose. “I’ll forgive you once you send me the photo you took.” She said, gesturing the others to follow her through the archway.

“Should we just start now, or wait until we reach the training ground?” Pearl whispered excitedly.

Rose giggled. “Oh, I’m sure he’s on to us by now, may as well start...”

Behind her, she noticed she could no longer hear Steven and Connie’s footsteps. As if on que, she heard Steven begin to mumble…

“Wait, are Mom and Pearl gonna… oh no…”

“What? What’s wrong with-” Connie began to say before her words were cut short at the sight of Steven being plucked right off the ground and into Rainbow Quartz’s loving arms.

“Hello, Baby Boy!” The fusion greeted warmly as she held Steven close to her like a small child. “Did you miss Mommy?”

“Mom…” Steven grumbled.

“Oh… that.” Connie said. After a moment to put the pieces together, it finally clicked. “Oh my gosh, are we doing fusion today!”

Rainbow Quartz gave a nod in confirmation. “Rose and Pearl have been so impressed by Steven’s progress that she developed today’s session to push him to his limit physically.

‘Just… not too hard, right Pearl?’ Rose asked internally.

‘Relax, he’ll be just fine. We know what we’re doing.’ Pearl said confidently.

She looked back to her child, his blush still faintly present on his cheeks. Like this, he seemed so small in her arms. So tiny and delicate and yet so precious. She felt he was as much hers as he was Rose’s or Pearl’s.

There were so many times Rose had fantasized of the moment she and Pearl could one day let Steven meet their love given form. How he would look on with the sort of boundless excitement and wonder only a young child could possess.

“Oh, Steven…” she said as she set him down, her memory recalling the charming melody that rattled in her mind. “_All you wanna do… is see me turn into_…”

Steven’s face lit up with surprise. “Oh my gosh, I barely remember singing that song. You guys still remember that?”

“Of course! It was such an adorable little tune! How could I not?”

Connie chuckled. “You guys are going to give me cavities with all this sweetness.” she said. “Ready, Steven?”

“Yeah.” Steven answered, determination clear in his voice. Connie drew her sword from her scabbard as she approached Steven. The two embracing as Steven’s gem glowed, its light almost blinding the fusion. In an instant, the light disappeared in a thick cloud of pinkish smoke. In Steven and Connie’s place stood their own fusion, Stevonnie.

Rainbow Quartz tried her best not to squeal with delight from the moment. Herself, the fusion of Rose and Pearl, meeting Steven’s own with someone as dear to him as Pearl was to Rose! She took a moment to collect herself, managing to hide all but her obvious smile. “All right, then! I hope you’re ready, dear. I want to see what you can do!”

“Let’s see what you got!” Stevonnie eagerly snapped back, summoning a shield to their hand.

Light radiated from Rainbow Quartz’s gems, materializing a spear and shield in her hands. The light from her gems grew, splitting out in all directions before stopping to take form. Before long, the younger fusion was greeted with the sight of four armed duplicates of Rainbow Quartz herself.

“Are you prepared to engage in combat!?” they cried in unison, all of them taking a defensive stance and leveling their spears towards their target.

“Show me what you got!” Stevonnie bellowed, bashing their sword against their shield hard in a cocky display.

All at once, Rainbow Quartz’s duplicates pounces. As they charged on, they clustered their shields into a layered wall that came barreling towards the young fusion.

Stevonnie parried every jab and thrust they made in an effort to pierce their defenses. Rainbow Quartz could feel Rose’s worry begin to mount as she watched on. ‘How are they going to get through?’ she thought. ‘They’re grossly out numbered. Pearl, we promised not to overwhelm them!’

‘Just wait.’ She heard Pearl calmly retort.

Stevonnie paused, Rainbow Quartz spotting their eyes scan their opponents. They paused, their shield at the ready for another double to strike. Predictably, one struck, Stevonnie expertly dodging the attack while the spearhead became buried into the stone floor. The light construct struggled to pry its weapon free, and Stevonnie made quick use of their advantage.

They lept onto the shaft of the spear, dashing upwards until reaching the hologram’s head and swung. Its head slid cleanly from its neck as it paused and finally disappeared in a faint glimmer of light.

But Stevonnie wasn’t done.

They lept off the surface of another hologram’s shield, tumbling behind the clumped together constructs. In one clean stroke, they cleaved another in half, leaving only two remaining.

But their opponent’s momentary distraction was over, this time they were prepared. They scrambled to flank the fusion from the front and behind, charging towards one another with shields raised. They moved with such speed that Stevonnie had little time to react before becoming sandwiched between them.

Rainbow Quartz became fidget with discomfort. ‘Pearl, they’re going to hurt them!’ she heard Rose cry out.

‘Just wait.’ Pearl calmly insisted.

Stevonnie strained with all their might as they fought to secure what little breathing room they had. With one good heave, they forced their combatants back before dropping to the ground, taking out the footing of one and burying their blade in its side. Now finally down to their last fighter, Stevonnie charged forward, cutting it down to pieces.

“Bravo, Stevonnie!” Rainbow Quartz cheered, giving a round of applause.

Stevonnie paused between labored breaths, resting their hands on their knees as they responded to her encouragement with a smile and simple thumbs up. “Thanks, mom… ma’am.” They said awkwardly.

“Stevonnie, dear, are you alright?” Rainbow Quartz asked, her voice tinged with worry as she watched her pupil struggle to catch their breath.

“Y-yeah… yeah, I’m fine.” They said, giving an encouraging smile. They planted their sword into the ground to free their hand, taking a moment to crack their neck and slap themselves awake. “Why, what’s the matter? C’mon, I still got a ways to go!”

‘They can do this, Rose. You just need to trust them.’ Pearl assured. The fusion gripped to her spear harder as she readied herself. ‘We just need to have a little faith in them.’

All the same, she still felt Rose’s trepidation. But as much as Rose didn’t want to admit it, Pearl was right. She had to have faith with Stevonnie that they could handle this much pressure. And though more difficult to justify, in herself that she knew what she was doing.

Rainbow Quartz could still feel Pearl’s confidence in the two of them. Something that never failed to dumbfound Rose to no end. But all the same, she didn’t want to let her closest friend down. At the very least, she would try to have faith in herself. ‘We can do this…’

Her gemstones glowed. A thick, heavy fog began to eb its way across the battlefield. Soon the world around them became consumed in the miasma, the only thing that could still be clearly seen being the young fusion only a few feet from them.

The world around them began to recede. Soon, she that was that was left was the silhouette of Stevonnie, their shield raised and sword at the ready as they shifted erratically in an effort to parse of their final opponent through the gloom.

Each step she took was light and elegant like the careful performance of a dancer. The tips of her feet just barely touching the ground for terse seconds as she tried to move in accordance to her unaware partner. Though Stevonnie’s irregular movements made predicting them trickier than most, she knew that with patience, her opening would finally come…

The young fusion flinched. Their attention stolen by the sound of a fragment of the old stone pillar splintering off and crumbling to the ground. Their back was turned to her. Now was her time to strike.

She sliced through the air with deathly precision, throwing off their guard before batting her with her shield. Even if this fusion lacked the strength that she had once possessed from sharing Rose’s gemstone, her might still proved to be great enough to launch Stevonnie into the air with one well-placed kick.

But Stevonnie was quick to recover, halting their decent midair to a slow crawl to scan the ground beneath them. With their target in sight, they took aim, encasing themselves within a spiked bubble with alarming speed. They careened to the floor, Rainbow Quartz gracefully somersaulting back to expertly dodge before the projectile’s impact.

‘Steven shouldn’t be using that!’ Rainbow Quartz thought, overwrought with Rose’s worry. ‘If Steven had gotten too tired, it might have popped before they hit the ground!’

She threw her weapons aside, dashing towards the crater left from Stevonnie’s attack. Her mind flew at a mile a minute as she tried to clear away the rubble and see past the dust that had been kicked up.

“Stevonnie!? Stevonnie, can you hear me!?” She cried out, hoping for some sort of answer.

Her answer came from a familiar pink shield gliding through the air and straight towards her. In a hast to defend herself, she summoned a shield of her own to protect herself, they project harmlessly bouncing off the surface.

From the corner of her eye, she spotted a figure scamper past her. With no time to act quickly enough, she felt something rob her of her footing and force her to the ground.

She tried to scramble to regain her footing, only to notice the end of a sword points only a few inches from her face. The fog around them began to dissipate, the glare of the sun somewhat obstructing her vision, forcing her to block out its stinging glow with her arm. As she did, she was met with the sight of a tired, but triumphant Stevonnie.

“Wow… you really put me… through the ringer at the end there.” They said, gasping for air between words.

Rainbow Quartzes pride immediately shifted to worry. “Oh no! Are you alright, Baby!? Are you hurt, do we need to get-”

“Oh my stars, Mom, I’m FINE.” Stevonnie cut her off with an annoyed tone, pausing to take another deep breath. With their session over, their body disappeared in a flash of light. Steven and Connie nearly tumbling to the floor in a tired heap.

Steven twitched and instinctively reached to grab his shoulder. “Well, maybe we’re a little tired. Is it okay if we take a break? I… I’m kinda cramping up…”

“Looks like somebody forgot to do their stretches this morning!” Rainbow Quartz playfully teased, more relieved to see them come out without seriously getting hurt. Steven looked to her with an air of guilt on his face and a half-hearted shrug. “Sorry, Mom.”

Rainbow Quartz just sighed and smiled. “It’s okay, dear, I still love you.”

“Love you too, Mom….” Steven mumbled back.

To say that Pearl was proud of Steven and Connie was an understatement. She wasted no time praising the two, explain at length how they had surpassed her expectations while barely able to contain her giddiness at how well they had held their own against Rainbow Quartz herself.

As a reward for coming out the victor in their sparing match, Pearl agreed to grant them to long break.

Rose wasn’t the least bit surprised to see Steven and Connie take a spot for themselves overlooking the edge. Rose and Pearl each agreed to give them their space as the former handed them their lunches. From her spot on the stone bleachers, Rose watched on as Steven and Connie stared out into the open sky.

“I think you did quite well today.” Pearl cheerfully put, taking a seat beside her.

“Are you sure? I was such a worry wart throughout the whole session.” Rose jokingly said, trying to laugh off her minor shame.

Pearl chuckled. “I figured you would be. I was like that too around Steven.” She admitted, resting her palm on the stone bench as she leaned back. “There are even times where I know I can still be like that.”

“And yet you seemed so confident in the both of them. I understand they’re your students. But this time felt different.” Rose stated curiously.

“Well, truth be told, they asked me to do this.” Pearl confessed. “Steven wanted to get the two of us to spend a little time together with him and get to know us as Rainbow Quartz a bit more.”

Rose couldn’t help but feel flattered at that. Her heart fluttering at the thought that she and Steven’s shared time was just as precious to him as it was to her. She focused her attention back to Steven as both he and Connie sat beside one another, staring out over the horizon.

“And you don’t think it was perhaps a reason to spend some time with Connie as well?” Rose said with a cheeky smile.

Pearl tried her best to hold back a giggle. “Why Mrs. Universe!” She said in mock indignation, placing her hands on her hips. “Whatever could have given you that impression?”

They each shared a laugh as they watched the young couple, the sight taking Rose back to a time where she and Pearl had first discovered these feelings. Of how they would often spend countless hours in each other’s embrace, simply enjoying each other’s company.

She remembered how much she would gush over Pearl herself, seeing her journey from servant, to friend, to knight, and finally to her lover. A part of her still stung with past regrets, but she couldn’t deny the joy that came from reminiscing those seemingly simpler times. And now, Steven had a knight of his own to share each other’s hearts with…

“She’s so fierce and so caring. Reminds me a lot of someone else I know very well.” Rose said.

“Oh, and who would that be?” Pearl asked sarcastically.

“Someone who I honestly couldn’t imagine living without.” Rose answered sincerely.

Pearl’s cheeks turned baby blue at her earnestness. “Thank you for agreeing to this, Rose.”

“Of course. Making memories like this… this is the life I never thought I would get to have.” Rose stated. “And I intend to make the most of it with the family I love. Including my little baby bear.” She turned her attention back to them. They looked be siting closer, now practically leaning into one another. “Speaking of which, I think they’re about to kiss.”

“Rose what are you-” Pearl began to ask as Rose stood up.

“Steven don’t forget the special treat I packed in your lunch, baby! I made it with lots of extra love!” Rose shouted. Steven flinched, almost shrinking into his coat as if to hide himself from her.

“Oh my stars, Rose…” Pearl barely managed to say as she held her sides, fighting to not burst out laughing.

“Connie, I put one in your lunch too, sweetie!” Rose added sweetly.

Connie raised her arm to show a thumbs up, her back still turned to Rose as Steven buried his face in his hands. “Thanks, Rose!” she meekly responded.

Pearl tried her best to not lose her composure as she gestured for Rose to sit back down. “Rose, stop, I think you’ve tormented that poor boy enough today!”

“I can’t help it, he’s our baby…” Rose admitted.

Pearl sighed. “Yes. He certainly is.”


	4. Chapter 4

Steven felt like he was going to cry from the stress. His lungs burned from the constant running. His skin felt numb from the sting of the bitter cold. Once he felt safe enough to stop and catch his breath, he collapsed onto the icy ground and held his head in between his knees to calm himself down.

“It isn’t real. None of this is real.” He kept telling himself. “Right now, I’m back home in my bed and-”

“Why are you running away, Steven? I thought we were having fun.”

His heart drops to his stomach.

She’s here. She’s so close.

Had she already found him? Or was she just trying to scare him and coax him out of hiding?

It didn’t matter. She was too close. If she hadn’t found him by now, she would soon. And she’d drag him back to that horrible place.

His entire body felt weak, his eyelids heavy and constantly threatened to stay shut the instant they closed. It was a miracle that he had found the chance to get away at all. He knew that if he didn’t stop running, she would find him. It wouldn’t be hard. He wouldn’t have enough time to hide the trail he was leaving in the snow.

He just wanted to go home.

_‘I am home!’_

Away from her. Away from this place. “I… I don’t want to be here.”

_‘I’m nowhere near here!’_

Tears trickled down the side of his face as he tried desperately hard to calm down. He could hear his heartbeat thundering in his ears. He didn’t know how far he would get, or if his attempts to block the way back would help, but he had to try.

Should he call for help? Was there anyone even remotely close enough that could hear him? No, he couldn’t risk it, she’d find him for sure…

He felt his footing fail him. His leg sank into the ground while his full weight came crashing down the side of hill. His body tumbled like a ragdoll before smashing against the side of a tree. Red hot pain shot from the back his head and kept him just barely awake.

“Now now dear, you’re just going to run away after all the progress we’ve made? I’m sure this time I’ll have found a way to tap into that power of yours, and then the real fun starts with Pink and the others!”

It was her, she found him. Oh stars, please, no…

“Please… stop…” he begged, his voice hoarse and cracked.

He couldn’t let her do this. To break him and send him out to attack him own family. He felt his toes curl as his mind screamed to pick himself back up and keep running, or at very least fight back. He had to do something. Was he really going to be forced to hurt the people he loved?

A white light stung his eyes, he was already feeling body grow limp, his control slipping away once more. She was going to take him back.

_‘No…’_

He didn’t want to go back. He wasn’t going back!

*

Steven wasn’t entirely sure of when he had awoken. His head was still dizzy from the sudden jolt into consciousness. His breathing felt heavy, he could feel tears run down his cheeks, he could feel his hand lightly tremble as tried to calm down. An overwhelming sense of dread and fright made him hug himself, his knees held close to his face.

It took a moment to finally realize something different. He looked to his hands, noticing how they seemed to be consumed in dull pinkish glow.

‘No…’ He whispered to himself already certain that this could be anything good. ‘No, no, no, no, no…”

He made sure to make as little noise as he could while worried his new hue would spur either his mother or father awake as he made his way to the bathroom. He was thankful at least that they hadn’t noticed as he rushed in and swiftly closing the door behind him.

“What even is this?” he asked himself, closely inspecting his reflection in the mirror. His luminous state provided enough light to see without switching on the bathroom light.

Was his body hurt? He wasn’t in any immediate pain, though.

Was this shape shifting? No, aside from the glow, he didn’t appear to have changed, aside from what looked to be a short fuzz growing on his face.

Maybe this was a new power? But this wasn’t like anything Pearl or his mother had described before. And what did it even do?

His ears began to ring, the deafening white noise piercing his train of thought and forced him to grip the sides of the sink to hold himself up despite the pain.

‘STOP IT!’ he cried out mentally, ‘I CAN’T DEAL WITH THIS NOW! THEY NEED ME HELP FIX EVERYTHING! I CAN DEAL WITH THIS ALL OVER AGAIN AND FALL APRT NOW!’

But just as suddenly as it arrived, it stopped. The pain in his head receding into dull throb as the pink glow that encompassed him faded away. He felt something crumble away in his hands. Tiny pebbles of porcelain could be heard scattering across the ground.

Puzzled, Steven pulled his hands back to his sides. Switching on the light, the damage was made clear, as two large chunks of the sink had been crushed along the rim.

Steven jumped at the sound of knock on the door. “Steven?” he could hear the muffled sound of his mother’s voice from the other side of the door. “Sweetie, is everything alright?”

Would she know anything about this new power? What had even caused it? His dream?

He felt a chill crawl up his spine at the thought of his nightmare. He felt that if anything, it would just make Rose upset bringing this up. And then she’d just go and beat herself up because she’d think it was her fault for not being there to stop him from being kidnapped and…

No, this wasn’t a big deal. He just needed to get some sleep and calm his nerves.

“I-I’m fine, Mom.” He said, poking his head through the crack of the door to hide the damage to the sink. “I just…. Needed to use the bathroom…”

Rose’s brow furrowed as she gave him a look of concern. “It sounded like you were in pain, are you feeling well?”

Steven could feel Rose begin to push her way through, he wanted to keep her out, but deep down he knew the more he fought it, the more she’d try to force her way in. With some trepidation, he stepped aside to let her in.

“Steven, what had gotten into….” Rose’s eyes zeroed in on the damaged sink. “…you…”

Steven could feel himself almost sink where he stood as he felt his mother’s gaze on him. A mixture of shame and fear kept him from looking up to meet it and only stare directly to the floor. “I just… had a bad dream…” he quietly said, letting out just enough of the truth that he hoped would quell her worry. “And I guess it shook me up a little more than I thought.”

“Steven…” Rose said, wasting no time to comfort him with a tight hug. “You should have just told me.”

“Look, it’s not a big deal.” Steven protested, furiously trying to free himself from Rose’s grip. “It was just a stupid dream. Besides Bismuth and I wanted to go over organizing classes for Little Homeschool with how close we are to finishing construction. And then we have to pick teachers for those classes and…”

“Steven, what about you?” Rose asked.

“What ABOUT me?” Steven retorted, sounding more snobbish than he would have liked. He sighed. “Look, I’ll be okay, I just need to get some sleep and I’ll be fine.”

Rose gave a heavy sigh. “Alright…” she said, not sounding entirely convinced, but all too willing to comply with Steven’s wishes to go back to bed. She simply smiled and pulled her son close for another hug. “Goodnight, Steven. Please get some rest.” She said before leaving a kiss to his forehead. “I love you so much.”

“Thanks, Mom. Love you too…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, finally, the last chapter for this fic. I swear I only started writing this to string together a few little fics while I planned out other stuff for my AU, but a lot has happened since I started this fic. And now it looks like my next fic won't be until the beginning of the new year. I hope y'all enjoy this, I always appreciate the patience of my readers, as it feels I've been relying on that a lot lately. I hope y'all had a good holiday season, here's to the new year and new decade!

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I know this isn't the SU movie plot for my AU, but rest assure, that's coming soon enough. Rose and the others already have enough to deal with, and I wanted to explore a few little ideas that I feel could be connected in one big series to try something different. Hope you enjoy and don't forget to leave feedback!


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